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Business Spotlight: Parcel

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Slow down, you move too fast.

You got to make the morning last.


Simon & Garfunkel might as well have been speaking to visitors of Parcel, a stationery and decorative packaging shop in Montclair, NJ. In a world that seems to be moving at a faster and faster pace, Parcel is a lovely throwback to an earlier gentler time. Its founder and owner, Nancy Laboz, likens her shop to an old-fashioned general store with lots of cubbies to peek into and drawers to open where one is treated to a smorgasbord of  found objects foraged in out-of-the-way places by Nancy and her husband, Adam. 


One of many special treats waiting for an adventurer is Nancy’s custom gift wrapping. “Gift wrapping gives me an excuse to play with all the things I love – the paper, the ribbon, the trims. That’s probably my favorite aspect of the business.” 


Another specialty is a custom invitations service. At first Nancy designed the invitations herself but as the service developed, she folded in all the resources and skillsets needed to do a first class job. And by the way, please note that Parcel is the only shop in Montclair to offer custom invitations. You have an event – a wedding, graduation, anniversary, whatever – and you will receive gorgeous, hand-fashioned “memories.”


In a sense our proprietress has come full circle. As a little girl, she lost herself in boxes: collecting them, stacking and arranging them, placing wee gems in them. No dolls for this lass. Packages and packaging was her early passion then and remains so today.


Oh my! Have i gotten this far with the story without mentioning VINTAGE? Mea culpa, for Nancy has worked diligently to blend her love for things and feelings old with a deft modern curating touch and style - “recalling the past, honoring lost arts, crafts and trades while embracing the present.” 


Many of our items in the “brick and mortar” shop are truly one-of-a-kind, but when shopping on the website, Nancy points out that you will find some old-store stock, or items from vintage “lots”, often adopted from defunct old shops or factories.


“In addition to vintage treasures, Parcel features many symbolic and handmade offerings that make for thoughtful and personal gifting. That would include their handmade stationery, their handmade concrete vessels and trinkets, and unusual pieces from cultures in the Far East, Europe and Latin America.”

Parcel is now in its nineteenth year of operation. It has evolved in many ways but has stayed true to its roots. If an idea, concept or product is not “in her wheelhouse”, she says NO. 


So for a one-of-a kind shopping experience, kindly go to 608 Bloomfield Avenue, treat yourself to twinkling lights, an old movie soundtrack and a delicious scented candle. 

And for goodness sake, slow down.

  

  

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